Gottman Method Therapists in Mount Prospect, IL

If you are experiencing difficulties with your significant other, I can help as I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and extensively trained in relationship models. For years, I have been successfully working with couples to help them improve their communication strategies, heal from the trauma of infidelity and repair other significant relationship injuries. I began working with children and their families back in 1992 but today, I use the Gottman Method Couples Therapy because it is rooted in decades of research and practice. Years of positive outcomes is what sets this method apart from other non-researched therapies.

My current availability is daytime only. I enjoy working with children, adolescents, families, adults, and couples. I specialize in relational issues, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, life transitions/stress, gender identity/sexuality, and self-esteem. I work collaboratively to raise awareness and teach emotional regulation, expression of anger and distress tolerance. I empower families and individuals to understand/create/communicate needs. I am skilled at finding the best methods and interventions to meet my clients’ needs because everyone is different and it is important to find a good fit.

I am so inspired that you have begun the search to determine the best therapist fit for yourself, or a loved one. I believe that recognizing the need for mental health support and seeking therapy is an incredibly vulnerable step.  A step on your life journey that is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself!

The Willoughby Center focuses on the use of empirically supported therapeutic treatment options geared towards increasing a client's psychological flexibility, stress management skills, and overall functionality. Therapy consists of a collaborative and individualized approach, allowing rapport to blossom and work towards the clients chosen values to achieve a life worth living. Our center provides a variety of behaviorally focused, client-centered approaches to help clients effectively cope with life's challenges and struggles to start living not just surviving.

Why do relationships seem so hard? Are you feeling hopeless about your situation? The good news is - you don't have to face life's difficulties alone. Everyone struggles at times, and friends and family may not be of help. You need an objective, emotionally supportive therapist to help you look at what works and what doesn't. We won't change what is already working, instead we will identify and build on your existing strengths. Then use your strengths to modify behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, that get in your way. Collaboratively, we will design a treatment plan for you.

I welcome my clients with warmth and compassion at any stage of their healing journey. Processing past experiences and navigating the uncertainty of the future takes courage so we create a space where you can foster curiosity about these fears and uncertainties, gain insight about yourself, and feel empowered to make positive changes. I incorporate self-compassion, shame resilience, and value exploration in our work so we can break cycles and make changes towards a fulfilling and authentic life.

Life can be challenging and reaching out for help can also be difficult. As a therapist, it is my goal to provide a safe space for my clients where they can expect to be met with compassion and understanding. I work with my clients to facilitate growth, insight, and self-compassion. I believe that these are core aspects in helping people build the necessary tools for navigating life. I have a diverse clinical background and have worked with people in various stages of their lives.

I believe in the power of building self-awareness and working toward an improved quality of life. I am passionate about empowering my clients in making intentional, value informed choices that work for them in a sustainable way. I have a direct, solution-oriented approach, which aids individuals in addressing behaviors and thought processes that impact their lives in a way that does not work for them in the present. Ultimately, I guide my clients to building resiliency, self-compassion, and adaptive skills to accept those challenges and pains which naturally come throughout life.

The adage “we repeat what we don’t repair” is especially true of couples. Couples often start therapy knowing that their relationship can and should be better, but they feel powerless to change. Constant fighting, threatening to leave, infidelity, always feeling distant, anxiety and depression—these are signs that something needs to change. Couples therapy with me focuses on helping you and your partner break these cycles by first understanding how they came to be. I offer a unique perspective that emphasizes the importance of exploring unconscious dynamics and your past’s influence in your relationship.